


Visitation

by aledrina



Series: Nanial Shepard [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-11
Updated: 2012-04-11
Packaged: 2017-11-03 12:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aledrina/pseuds/aledrina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nanial Shepard has retired away after defeating the Reaper threat with Liara, and gets a visit from an old squad mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visitation

**Author's Note:**

> Own ending perception, written pre-ME3 was released

Far, far, far, far future…

Shepard had been listed as Missing In Action again, but this time, for her own safety.

With the Reapers successfully destroyed and the galaxy at peace for the moment, she had finally been granted a retirement, even if it did require some extreme measure in order to attain that status. She had returned to the colony she had grown up on, to a house far from the main city. The one thing she had missed most about home, had been the change of seasons, winter especially.

She sat outside on a bench as she stared out at the land that been easily bought with the credits she had stashed away in another account ever since she had become a Spectre. It had been enough for land, a house, to live off of in peace.

Ever since the last box had been unpacked, she had finally felt the weight of just how old she was now. The stress of the galaxy off her shoulders, she could feel all the scars, the technology within her working to keep her from falling apart, everything that she had done in order to just stay together. And the cold had done little to ease the pain, winter rough to her body despite it being so soothing to her mind.

The door to the small house opened and someone sat next to her. An unexpected guest, but a welcomed one.

“It is still unbelievable that you are no longer with the Normandy.”

“What? Can’t handle being captain, oh Tali‘Zorah vas Normandy?”

The Quarian chuckled from under face mask, patting Shepard’s leg, lingering there for a moment. Nanial glanced to her hand, before resting her hand over her friend’s. “It is not the same without you there. You and Liara, Jeanne and Kaidan.”

“How are those two? Jeanne still refuses to send me more than a message a month, and Kaidan was banned from updating me anymore. I think she still doesn’t understand that whole sister-family thing.”

Even though she couldn’t see it, she knew that Tali was smiling under that mask. “They are good. Their daughter is definitely Jeanne’s child.”

“Good, good.”

A quiet moment passed between them and Nanial burrowed into her scarf. She could still remember how they had first met, her and Tali. She would have never even imagined that they would have been together for a short moment after that. It still pained her just in the slightest remembering what they had shared, but it was nothing in comparison of how happy she was now. 

But the memories were still there. They were good memories. She wasn’t about to have them wiped away because of a difference in cultures. She understood now why Tali had to be so cold then, because Tali knew that she was too nice for her own good. Nanial would have convinced her to stay with her, and it would have only been a disaster.

It had been better, for the both of them.

Tali shivered, shaking her head. “I do not understand how you can sit out here. The cold goes right through my suit.”

Nanial chuckled herself and put an arm around her, pulling her close against her fuzzy jacket. The Quarian stiffened at first, before relaxing. “You never told me why you suddenly came here. We’re pretty off the charts, almost out of Alliance space.”

Another silence passed, and the blonde felt like she had asked something that should have waited, or should have never been asked in the first place. She pushed back her hair with a sigh, wondering how she was going to bring back the good atmosphere that they had just a moment ago.

“Do you ever wonder what… what would have happened if we had still been together?”

The question she had been mulling over, suddenly out in the open. It was like she could still read her mind when she was down about something. “Tali-“

“We had something-“

“Tali,” Nanial squeezed her arm around Tali’s shoulders, rubbing her shoulder, “we both know the answer to that. I’m surprised you would even mention it.” Tali lowered her head, and Shepard quickly turned to her, frowning. “You’re not here to get me back, are you?!”

The Quarian almost leaped away from her, and Nanial could tell even she was frowning, her mouth piece almost glowing red. “Did you lose your brain when you moved to this forsaken colony? Why would I go and ruin-“

“Then why are you here?” She pinched her nose, shaking her head. “It’s not that I don’t mind you being here, but it’s not like you to come here just on some whim! You think, Tali, you have a logical reason to everything you do. You scolded me when Jeanne and I came back. You took over the ship without questions because you knew that you could handle it. I just… I need to know why you’re here.”

Tali fidgeted with her hands, silent. Nanial instantly regretted what she had said, but she was down right confused. Tali couldn’t sleep on the original Normandy because it was loud, not because she missed home. She was a Quarian who had gone on Pilgrammage willingly! So for her to just suddenly appear, how else was she supposed to think?

“I missed you, Nanial.” The blonde chewed on her lip and grabbed the Quarian’s hands when she shivered, warming them as she listened to her. “I have had this feeling ever since you left, a void. You were not just a commander. You were just not a Shepard. Even after what we had shared, you were still… you became my sister, my family. I was… worried. And it’s strange thinking a Quarian to be worried over a human who was fully capable of handling herself and-“

“You’re rambling, calm down.” 

“I am sorry. I will leave. The others are probably-” She went to stand, and-

Nanial tightened her grip on her hands, tugging her down. “You can visit, whenever you want, Tali. You’re my family too.” She pressed a kiss against her helmet, at her forehead. “You don’t have to hide things from me, or come up with excuses. You can just say you missed me, and I’ll understand. Emotions, even though they’re kind of unpredictable, they’re a logical reason to visit someone too.”

“But you just said-“

“Do I ever make sense when trying to make a speech? That was Jeanne’s expertise, even if it was filled with a few vulgar words.”

The door opened again, and three blue blobs went racing out into the weather, followed by Liara. “Put on your hats!” she yelled after them, hands on her hips. “You’re not missing school again if you get sick!” The Asari turned to the two and smiled, before frowning and disappearing into the house. She returned a few seconds back with a heavy coat, wrapping it around Tali. “How long have you been letting her sit out here in the cold, Nanial?! Shame on you!”

Nanial pursed her lips, glancing to Tali as she pulled the jacket around her. There was a loud scream and the Shepard stood up, going to the edge of the balcony. “TALI, STOP HITTING YOUR SISTER OR I’LL SWEAR I’LL TAKE AWAY YOUR CALIBRATIONS.” The blonde hurled herself over the balcony as the shrieks continued.

Liara slid next to Tali in Nanial’s place, smiling. “She’s happy you came and visited,” she assured her. “And I’m happy too, that you came by. It’s good to get visitors, family especially.”

“You are not bothered? By our history?”

“Is Nanial bothered that I was the Shadow Broker for a few years? We are all unique, with our own histories. Just because you two were together, doesn’t mean that I’m going to hate you.” The Asari squeezed Tali’s knee lightly, a habit she had picked up from Nanial. “You and the rest of the crew, you are still family to us. We don’t just send our Christmas cards to anyone, especially last year’s. I still don’t know how they got into that paint.”

“I like it… the cards.”

They both watched as Shepard and the daughters ran about in the snow like four children instead of parent and children. “You are always welcomed here. I’ll make a sweater for you, for next time you visit.”

Tali put her hand on Liara’s. “Thank you.”


End file.
